WrestleMania III Competitor Little Tokyo Dies

Midget wrestling star Little Tokyo (Shigeri Akabane) died Tuesday of a heart attack in St. Joseph, Missouri. He was 71 years old.

He competed in numerous North American promotions during the Seventies and Eighties including Herb Abrams’ Universal Wrestling Federation, the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation. His highest profile appearance was at WrestleMania III in a mixed tag team match with Lord Littlebrook and King Kong Bundy against Hillbilly Jim, Haiti Kid and Little Beaver.

Akabane was scheduled to be released from the hospital on Tuesday as the rashes he had developed while fighting a second round of leukemia had cleared up. Akabane suffered a heart attack while getting up to use the bathroom and never recovered.